Rink Rap | A New York Rangers Podcast from Forever Blueshirts

Rangers prospects and the Hartford Wolf Pack take center stage as AHL.com’s Patrick Williams joins Jim Cerny on Rink Rap.

In this episode:
• Hartford’s new head coach Jay Leach and the early-season direction
• Which Rangers prospects are standing out in the AHL (and who still has work to do)
• The goaltending situation, including Callum Tung and the James Reimer PTO
• How the Wolf Pack is handling an early 0-5 stretch after a 3-0 start
• Whether this Hartford group is more resilient than past Wolf Pack teams
• Quick Rangers update covering the response after the Devils loss, the Columbus game, and the Ducks win at MSG

Patrick Williams is a longtime AHL reporter who also contributes to NHL.com. He gives an honest look at development, roster decisions, and the push-and-pull between the Rangers and their AHL affiliate.

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro & Rangers update
15:00 – Patrick Williams joins
20:00 – Jay Leach and the coaching staff
28:00 – Prospects spotlight
45:00 – Goaltending situation
55:00 – Closing thoughts & what’s next

Subscribe to Rink Rap from Forever Blueshirts for more New York Rangers and Hartford Wolf Pack coverage.

Podcast number two this week. Jim Cerny breaks down the Rangers’ 7-1 loss in New Jersey, a night that looked a lot like the last two seasons after a 6-2 start. He covers the roster moves first: Taylor Raddysh is up from Hartford, Jaroslav Chmelar goes back down, and the Wolf Pack signed veteran goalie James Reimer to a PTO. Then he walks through the game: J.T. Miller’s late first-period turnover, the second-period collapse, Dylan Garand getting pulled, and why chasing games is a problem for this team without Igor Shesterkin. The Rangers visit Columbus on Saturday.

Chapters

• 00:00 Intro: a second Rink Rap this week
• 03:11 Raddysh up, Chmelar down
• 03:57 Why Sullivan doesn’t trust the fourth line
• 10:19 What Raddysh brings
• 13:53 James Reimer PTO and goalie depth
• 20:50 The Devils game: Miller’s turnover
• 24:47 Second-period collapse
• 31:00 Why one game shouldn’t cause panic
• 35:00 Wrap-up and what’s next

Igor Shesterkin is out for the season, and the New York Rangers are still 6-2-0. Jim Cerny opens with why the show missed last week and then digs into what the injury really costs this team, and why these Rangers look nothing like the soft group from two seasons ago.

He explains how Mike Sullivan has built a five-man defensive structure, how Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson stabilized the second pair, and why 18-year-old Alberts Šmits is already a real part of the third pair. He also covers Alexis Lafrenière’s league-leading seven goals and Pavel Dorofeyev’s slow start, and he makes the case for why he isn’t giving up on Dorofeyev.

Then comes the news of the day: Cole Beaudoin goes back to Hartford and Justin Dowling is recalled. Jim also lays out the goalie market with Jordan Binnington, Philipp Grubauer and Darcy Kuemper, explains why Connor Hellebuyck isn’t coming, and makes the case for letting Garand run with the job while Joonas Korpisalo recovers. The show closes with the Devils and Blue Jackets this week and a preview of live shows coming to the city.

In this episode:

• Shesterkin’s season-ending injury and what it means beyond this year
• Why the Rangers have bought in defensively under Sullivan
• Durzi, Pettersson, Schneider and Šmits on the back end
• Lafrenière’s hot streak and the Kartye-Miller line
• Dorofeyev’s struggles and the third line of Cuylle, Laba and Tolvanen
• Beaudoin, Dowling and the fourth-line center question
• Garand’s case as the starter and the goalie trade market

Subscribe to Rink Rap wherever you listen, and read more at ForeverBlueshirts.com. Follow Jim on X at @JimCerny.

#Rangers #NYR #NewYorkRangers #RinkRap #ForeverBlueshirts #IgorShesterkin #DylanGarand #NHL #RangersPodcast #LetsGoRangers

Chapters

0:00 Welcome to Rink Rap
0:52 Why there was no extra show last week
2:44 Covering the Igor news from a library
3:11 Igor Shesterkin is out for the season
4:34 The injuries are starting to add up
5:15 A wasted year for a goalie in his prime
5:51 No excuses: the Mike Sullivan Rangers
7:16 These are not the soft Rangers
9:11 So what’s actually different this year?
9:19 Durzi and Pettersson fix the second pair
11:31 6-2-0 and a total defensive buy-in
13:09 Garand’s first two starts without Igor
15:10 Tampa: Garand’s biggest test yet
16:00 Schneider and the improved third pair
16:17 Alberts Šmits is a revelation
19:12 Five-man units and fewer breakdowns
21:40 You no longer expect something bad to happen
22:41 Lafrenière leads the league with seven goals
26:00 Winning without Dorofeyev, Miller or Zibanejad scoring
27:36 Pavel Dorofeyev is frustrated and frustrating
29:51 Why Jim isn’t giving up on him
33:18 Cuylle, Laba and Tolvanen: the third line works
39:25 Carolina, Philadelphia and the Metro mush
42:57 Banking points and reclaiming the Garden
44:01 Beaudoin goes down, Dowling comes up
47:40 Do the Rangers need a fourth-line center?
49:25 Goalie depth: Korpisalo, Martin and Tung
50:12 Binnington, Grubauer, Kuemper: realistic targets?
55:29 Why Hellebuyck isn’t coming
56:15 Why Garand rises in big games
1:00:23 Devils and Blue Jackets this week
1:02:54 Live shows coming to the city

Jim Cerny and Newsday's Colin Stephenson break down the Rangers' four-game winning streak and the buzz back at Madison Square Garden. They cover Chris Drury's offseason, why the fast start looks sustainable, how Mike Sullivan turned Alexis Lafrenière into a complete player, Cole Beaudoin's NHL debut, Braden Schneider's prove-it season, J.T. Miller's leadership and whether the Rangers' new depth can hold up to injuries.

Chapters:

0:00 Rangers Start Hot

4:30 Drury's summer

8:20 Is it sustainable

16:53 Lafrenière's growth

24:15 Beaudoin's debut

29:36 Schneider's prove-it year

31:35 J.T. Miller

37:50 Rangers depth

Dylan Garand cleared waivers Monday and is headed back to the Hartford Wolfpack for a fifth season. Jim Cerny explains why the decision was made the day Chris Drury traded for Joonas Korpisalo on July 1, and why losing Garand would have left Spencer Martin as the next goalie up behind Igor Shesterkin.

Also in this episode:
- The three goalies who did get claimed: Clay Stevenson (Winnipeg), Levi Merilainen (Vancouver) and Poirier (New Jersey)
- How Garand handles going back to Hartford after saying he didn't plan to
- Albert Schmitz makes the team and debuts Tuesday
- Scott Morrow vs. Matthew Robertson for the extra defenseman spot
- Taylor Raddysh clears waivers, and Matt Rempe is in the lineup on opening night

The Rangers open the 2026-27 season Tuesday night in Boston against the Bruins on ESPN.

Read the full season preview and staff predictions at Forever Blueshirts.

Chapters:
00:00 Opening night is here
00:17 Garand and Raddysh clear waivers
(01:41) Why the Korpisalo trade decided it
(02:50) Drury and the veteran backup pattern
(04:01) Sullivan's "difficult decision"
(05:42) The goalies who got claimed
(08:11) Why losing Garand would have hurt
(09:19) Is Korpisalo the right No. 2?
(11:01) Best-case scenario for the Rangers
(12:15) How does Garand respond?
(16:41) Albert Schmitz makes the team
(18:02) Morrow, Robertson and the extra D
(19:39) Rempe in, opening night lineup
(20:17) Wrap and season preview

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The Rangers are two preseason games into a short camp. Opening night against Boston is next Tuesday, and Jim Cerny runs through who's up and who's down.

Adam Sykora will miss 4-5 months with a lower-body injury from Monday's game against the Devils. Jim didn't see a path for Sykora to the opening-night roster, but his energy and leadership will be missed in Hartford. The upside is depth. Eeli Tolvanen joins the bottom six, and Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin are pushing from the AHL.

Alberts Smits is the story of camp. The No. 5 overall pick has skated with the NHL group and alongside Braden Schneider every day. After his poised preseason debut against the Islanders, Jim thinks he has the inside track. Jim also covers:

• Where Smits' arrival leaves Matthew Robertson, Drew Fortescue and Scott Morrow
• What Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson change on the second pair
• The last fourth-line spot, between Taylor Raddysh, Matt Rempe and Jaroslav Chmelar
• Whether the Rangers carry three goalies to protect Dylan Garand
• Why Pavel Dorofeyev might be the Rangers' first true sniper since Marian Gaborik, and a J.T. Miller who looks energized

Plus updates on former Rangers Brennan Othmann, Jonny Brodzinski, Carson Soucy and Cam Talbot.

Coming up: Rink Rap is recording at Mustang Harry's near Madison Square Garden to kick off the season. Watch Forever Blueshirts on X for details, and read more at ForeverBlueshirts.com.

Jim Cerny is joined by Russ Cohen of Sportsology and NHL Prospects Radio to break down the Rangers' rookie series against the Philadelphia Flyers.

They cover Alberts Smits' two-game showing as the Rangers' No. 5 overall pick, Drew Fortescue playing his off side on defense, Dylan Roobroeck's physical bounce-back performance, and the development of Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin. They also dig into the goaltending, with both Danai Shaiikov and Callum Tung standing out, plus the chemistry between Adam Sykora and Tomas Chrenko. The guys wrap with a look ahead to what to watch at Rangers training camp.

Chapters:
 0:00 Intro and Rangers-Flyers rookie series recap
 0:55 Russ Cohen joins the show
 5:39 Big-picture overview of the rookie series
 7:21 Alberts Smits breakdown
 13:52 Drew Fortescue playing his off side
 17:14 Dylan Roobroeck's bounce-back game
 19:44 Cole Beaudoin update and injury note
 24:00 Rangers' need for top-six skill
 26:49 Liam Greentree's two-way game
 29:51 Adam Sykora and Tomas Chrenko chemistry
 33:56 2026 draft class overview
 39:36 Goaltending: Danai Shaiikov and Callum Tung
 43:34 Looking ahead to Rangers training camp

Follow more Rangers coverage at foreverblueshirts.com and follow Russ Cohen's work at Sportsology and NHL Prospects Radio.

This is the Rink Rap podcast, part of the Forever Blueshirts network.

Hockey is back, and Jim Cerny is rolling into rookie camp week on Rink Rap from Forever Blueshirts.

The Rangers rookies play the Flyers on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. at PPL Center in Allentown. Cerny previews the first look at No. 5 pick Alberts Smits, Tomas Chrenko’s next step, Liam Greentree’s first Rangers sweater, and whether Cole Beaudoin can pull a Noah Laba and crash opening night.

Then it’s the roster questions that will follow this team into training camp: Eeli Tolvanen’s one-year fit next to Laba and Will Cuylle, why some fans want Cuylle in the top six with J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev, where Oliver Bjorkstrand lands, and why a Mika Zibanejad slump would be New York’s worst-case scenario after Vincent Trocheck’s departure.

Read the latest at ForeverBlueshirts.com

Jim on X: @JimCerny

Forever Blueshirts on X: @ForeverBluShirt

Chapters
0:00 Welcome to Rink Rap
0:47 More on Eeli Tolvanen
1:33 Rookie camp and Allentown schedule
2:29 First look at Alberts Smits
4:01 Ivy League polo and ESPN+
6:04 Johnny Lazarus and the Ranger tie
6:56 Why the Rangers delayed the rookie roster
9:15 Tomas Chrenko watch
11:58 Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin
12:40 Can Beaudoin pull a Noah Laba?
16:18 Nathan Aspinall and the next wave
17:32 Tolvanen deep dive with Rob Simpson
23:20 Cuylle, Laba and Tolvanen on the third line
23:41 Should Will Cuylle play in the top six?
25:52 Cuylle with J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev
27:00 Keeping Zibanejad, Lafrenière and Perreault together
28:08 Oliver Bjorkstrand’s role
32:54 Mika Zibanejad worst-case scenario
38:37 Weekend games, training camp and the Boston opener

September hockey is finally here. On this edition of the Rink Rap Podcast, Jim Cerny digs into the Rangers' latest offseason move: the one-year, $1.5 million signing of winger Eeli Tolvanen. Jim explains why Chris Drury waiting out a market that never developed for Tolvanen worked in the Rangers' favor, and why a rough underlying-numbers season in Seattle shouldn't scare fans off a player who's scored 23 goals and 41 points in a single season before.

Jim breaks down how Tolvanen slots into a projected third line with Will Cujo and Noah Laba, how the signing pushes Ty Cartier down to a much-improved fourth line, and why these short, affordable one-year deals (Tolvanen, Bjorkstrand, Veleno) are smart, low-risk business for a Rangers team still searching for top-end firepower. He also responds to fan criticism from both sides — those who think he's "drinking the Kool-Aid" and those who call him a "hater" — and lays out where he really stands on the Rangers' chances this season.

Plus: a preview of rookie camp and the Rangers-Flyers rookie games kicking off next week, the first-year prospects to watch (Liam Greentree, Nathan Aspinall, Cole Beaudoin, Malcolm Spence), and why only four preseason games this year means fewer chances to evaluate the kids. Jim wraps with a Labor Day sign-off and a look ahead to training camp.

Subscribe and follow along all season at ForeverBlueShirts.com, and follow Jim Cerny on X and Facebook @ForeverBlueShirts.

Timecodes

0:00 – Intro: hockey is back in September
 1:59 – Housekeeping: shorter show, thanks for the support
 4:57 – Rangers sign Eeli Tolvanen (1 year, $1.5M)
 7:07 – Why Tolvanen's market never developed
 9:23 – Tarasenko comparison and why he's not the right fit
 9:52 – Projected third line: Cooley, Laba, Tolvanen
 11:31 – Tolvanen's rough 2025-26 analytics explained
 15:36 – Why one-year "bounce-back" deals make sense 
 19:16 – Addressing fan pushback: "Kool-Aid" vs. "hater" criticism
 25:11 – Where the Rangers stack up in the Metro/Atlantic
 28:22 – Rookie camp and prospects to watch next week
 34:11 – Preseason format change: only 4 games this year
 39:04 – Labor Day sign-off and what's coming next week

Jim Cerny is back from a week off and welcomes Dan D'Uva, the radio voice of the Vegas Golden Knights, for an in-depth look at the Pavel Dorofeyev trade. D'Uva breaks down why Vegas moved on from their leading goal scorer, what he brings to a Rangers lineup starved for scoring, how he compares to guys like Nikita Kucherov in adjusting to a new language and market, and whether he can produce without setups from Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. Along the way, Jim and Dan swap stories about broadcast booths and arenas around the league (catwalks, gondolas, and the infamous Johnstown press box), and Dan reflects on growing up a Devils fan in Jersey, chasing Doc Emrick and Mike Miller with a tape recorder, and how the 1994 Rangers-Devils series shaped his hockey fandom.

Chapters:

00:00 – Cold open / intro
 00:15 – Jim welcomes listeners back from vacation, brings on Dan Duva
 00:48 – Dan Duva introduced, voice of the Vegas Golden Knights
 01:02 – Jim's Canadian Rockies trip and the new Calgary arena
 01:45 – Catwalk vs. no-catwalk broadcast booths
 02:35 – Ranking arenas by broadcast position (Islanders, old vs. new buildings)
 04:16 – Edmonton's gondola/press bridge that never got built
 04:56 – T-Mobile Arena vs. Little Caesars Arena, hopes for new Calgary arena
 04:57 (5:00ish) – Saddledome and the gondola view of warmups
 05:31 – Johnstown, PA and the Slap Shot broadcast booth story
 06:59 – Wrapping up the arena talk, back to hockey
 07:12 – Dan's Jersey/Devils roots growing up in Nutley
 08:22 – The 1994 Rangers-Devils series and Stefan Matteau/Seinfeld reference
 09:11 – The '95 lockout and Devils' Stanley Cup win
 09:39 – Broadcasting practice tapes as a teenager, Ridgewood high school hockey
 10:22 – Pestering Devils broadcasters (Mike Miller, Randy Velischek, Chico Resch)
 14:52 – Transition into the Pavel Dorofeyev trade discussion
 15:36 – Did Duva see the trade coming / draft-day reaction
 17:01 – Salary cap situation and why Vegas moved on from Dorofeyev
 19:22 – Dorofeyev's power play production and Viktor Olofsson's arrival
 21:16 – Playoff scoring surge and comparison to Brett Howden
 23:33 – White House visit story and Dorofeyevs drive to be a champion
 26:00 – Comparing Dorofeyev to Nikita Kucherov's English/language journey
 30:00 – Ivan Barbashev's influence and personality contrast
 33:00 – Igor Shesterkin comparison and "I don't speak English" bit
 34:33 – What Dorofeyev brings on the power play and even strength
 36:35 – Can Dorofeyev be trusted in all situations (Mike Sullivan's demands)
 42:39 – John Tortorella's role in Dorofeev's late-season push
 47:54 – Whether Dorofeyev needs elite setup men (Eichel/Marner) to produce
 52:17 – Reily Smith's "buy stock in Dorofeyev" story
 56:17 – Handling the pressure of a big Rangers contract and market
 1:00:20 – Comparing Dorofeyev's stage experience to Jack Eichel's Vegas arrival
 1:03:23 – Ryan Craig named new Golden Knights head coach, background
 1:05:10 – John Tortorella's arrival in Vegas, building early rapport
 1:07:00 – The Cape Cod/Maine connection that broke the ice with Tortorella
 1:11:16 – What Tortorella hates: the "non-question question"
 1:16:33 – How Tortorella made Duva a better interviewer, contrast with Bruce Cassidy
 1:20:33 – Tortorella's return to MSG and the "family" story with Jim's son
 1:23:24 – Carter Hart's relationship with Tortorella from Philadelphia
 1:25:57 – Closing thanks and sign-off